AF Clinches Series in Run-Rule Fashion, Defeating Navy 14-1

KINSTON, N.C., - Air Force baseball (2-6) clinches their first series of the season with a run-rule, 14-1, victory over Navy (1-5) on the final day of the Freedom Classic. The Falcons found success at the plate, scoring 14 runs off a season-high 10 combined hits highlighted by a grand slam from Cam Anstey. Between the two pitchers, AF tallied nine strikeouts, only allowed one run off five hits, and issued just three walks.

Cam Anstey accounted for a team-high four RBIs in his only plate appearance of the game, after hitting a grand slam to mark his first career long shot. The catcher, Walker Zapp finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three scored runs. Tripp Garrish and Zach Peters notched one hit and two RBIs each.

John Mitchell held down most of the game from the mound and moved to 1-1 on the season with his first win as a Falcon. The freshman threw six strikeouts across 5.2 innings and only allowed one run and four hits. The closer, Sam Hentges, marked 1.1 innings pitched with a new career-high three strikeouts and just one hit allowed.

Air Force came out of the gates swinging in the top of the first to lead 3-0. Alex Adams was issued a walk to lead off, as Ben Niednagel followed with a single through the right side. To score Adams, Walker Zapp put an RBI double down the left line. With runners on the corners, Tripp Garrish sent a sacrifice fly to center field, sending Niednagel home. Christian Taylor drew the second free base of the inning with Zach Peters coming in with a first pitch RBI bunt single to send Zapp around for one more run.

The Midshipmen tacked on their only run of the game in the bottom of two, trailing 3-1.

In the top of the third inning, lead off batter, Zapp, singled to left field while Garrish followed behind with a double down the right line. To send Zapp home, Taylor sent an RBI single up the middle and got the signal to steal second. After a strikeout, Luke Elmore reached on a fielder's choice and Garrish was thrown out at home, but that did not stop AF, as the Falcons were able to plate one more on a balk from the Navy pitcher, taking a 6-1 advantage.

The bottom of the third, fourth, and fifth innings saw three up, three down efforts from the Falcon defense.

The top of the sixth was a huge half inning for Air Force, as they strengthened the lead to 13-1. First baseman, Landon Boyd opened with a single to left field and was joined on base by a walked T.J. Oster. Following a Navy pitching change, Adams laid down a bunt single to juice the bases. Niednagel reached on a fielder's choice that saw Boyd thrown out at the plate, but back-to-back bases loaded walks tacked two on for AF. With two outs and bases full of Falcons, a pair of consecutive hit batters plated two more runs. Into the game entered pinch hitter, Anstey, with the bags still full. Anstey rose to the challenge and cleared the runners with a grand slam launched over the right field fence for his first career home run.

The Falcons added one more insurance run in the top of seven after Niednagel scored on a wild pitch for the final 14-1 win.

Next up, Air Force looks to take on Northern Colorado in their home opener on Tuesday Feb. 25 at Erdle Field. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. MT.

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